USE THE POWER GIVEN TO YOU BY CHRIST THROUGH THE HOLY GHOST TO KEEP THE SALVATION THAT HE HAS GIVEN YOU.
"But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you."
- Romans 11:17-21
As believers of Jesus Christ, we continuously confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, thus saving us daily by being the firm foundation on which we stand if we hold fast to it. Being a believer means receiving and accepting the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God within the heart and confessing it with the mouth and actions. Upon becoming a believer, we receive the Holy Ghost to become witnesses and Sons of God. He is the power that works within believers to destroy the deeds of the flesh leading us to perfection just like Christ. He is the power that works within us that helps us to stay saved lest we willingly stray away from the straight and narrow. He is the power that works within us that gives us the authority and dominion that Adam once lost, meaning He is the Kingdom of God on the Earth through us. He is the restorer of both the Glory and Image in man through power. It is by His power that we are able to lay hands on the sick and they will recover, we're able to drink/eat anything poisonous and live, we're able to cast out demons, we're able to raise the dead, etc. It is through the coming, life, death, resurrection, and ascension that power has been restored back to man through the Holy Ghost. Because in all things, it was the power of God that made these things possible, and our Father being graceful restored within us that power through His Son Jesus Christ.
Now that the power has been restored in us, as believers, what say you that we do with it? Sit on it? Study it? We are to use it! Salvation is to be worked out with fear and trembling not sat upon and pushed to the side. It is a gift! Jesus is constantly saving us, not from just the enemy, but from the sin and death that is within our flesh, simply saying, He's saving us from us. The blood has been spilled and now grace is accessible through faith in Christ and His redemptive work on the cross, leading to salvation. This is why we repent daily, we renew our minds daily, we confess daily, we proclaim the Lord's death often and we present our bodies a living sacrifice daily. It is lazy and dangerous to sit on the ideology of "once saved always saved" because it isn't scripture. It isn't ideal in the will of God for man to receive salvation through Christ, just to turn around and live a life led by his flesh completely contrary to who He is, yet expect to hear "Well done, my good and faithful servant." at the end. It is possible to receive Christ and not be led by His Spirit. It is possible to receive Christ and ignore the Holy Ghost while being led by your flesh. And it is most definitely possible to receive Christ and lose salvation because of incompetence. This is why those who are led by the Spirit of God are called the Sons of God. Because a son fears his Father in love, and obeys his every command.
What are we to do then? Be sad? No, bask in the joy of the salvation found in Christ! And rejoice because He has given us the gift of salvation and within that gift He has also given us the power to keep it. Use the power that you've received through the Holy Ghost to keep your salvation that is in Jesus Christ. The Father knew we couldn't keep ourselves so He sent the Comforter to keep us after the Son was seated at His right hand. Stop ignoring His voice! Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts in rebellion but hear, listen and obey knowing a rest is still in place for those who are His when He comes. His power is able to put to death all of your excuses if you allow Him to lead you. We learn obedience through our suffering, making us perfect like our Christ. Trust in Him, and be confident of who He is in your life. He wouldn't give you something as great as reconciliation without giving you something to keep it.
If you have recently strayed away or messed up, there's enough grace for you through Jesus Christ to pick you back up. Sin lives within the body making us do things that we don't necessarily want, but through Christ we have been saved from sin and death. This doesn't mean temptation doesn't come or that slip ups don't happen. A mistake doesn't give you an excuse to leave the salvation of Christ forever. A mistake is a mistake. The grace of God found In Christ says 'when you repent and turn back to me whole-heartedly, its like you never did it'. The flesh will always be unruly and will ALWAYS need to be put to death. The flesh isn't perfect, neither will it ever be perfect. But thanks be to Jesus Christ who has given us the victory through the Holy Ghost, who through power can put to death the deeds of the flesh while leading us to live a life in the Spirit away from the flesh. Time is still at hand. Come back to Jesus Christ, His love for you is still great, and He's waiting on you. There's grace enough for you to receive salvation for the first time, again, and then to keep it until the day of redemption. Always leave room for grace, but don't misuse it. Our Father knows our hearts and we'll have to give account to everything we've ever said, thought, intended to do, or did. He has given you power to be like Him, so be transformed!
Be blessed in Jesus name!
"But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again."
- Romans 11:17-23
"For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned."
- Hebrews 6:4-8
"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain."
- 1 Corinthians 15: 1-2
"Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience."
- Hebrews 4: 6-11
"You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."
- Luke 24:48-49
"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the power to become Sons of God— born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God."
- John 1:12-13
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
- Romans 8:14
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
- Philippians 2:12-13
It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
- Romans 7:13-25
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
- Romans 8:1-11
For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
- Romans 8:13-17
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